This Application is related to, and has a common Assignee with, co-pending Design application Ser. No. 29/140,013 filed on Apr. 11, 2001 herein for xe2x80x9cPLUG FOR APERTURES.xe2x80x9d
The present invention relates generally to stopper devices for blocking apertures, more particularly to stopper or plug devices for blocking lift holes which are typically provided in sidewall portions of tubular conduits, such as utility pipes, and for blocking holes in walls of sheetrock, for example.
Pipes and tubular conduits are commonly used to provide enclosed facilitated passageways for fluids, wires, cables, utility equipment, and other objects which are dispatched therethrough between opposing ends. Such pipes may be composed of metal, concrete, plastic polymer, poured cement, and the like, and are typically assembled in sections. During installation, an opening is typically provided in the side portion of a pipe section usually extending laterally and substantially aligned with the center of gravity of the corresponding section. This opening is usually referred to as a lift aperture or hole, and greatly facilitates the lifting and moving of the pipe section from one place to another. The lift aperture is configured to be operated in association with a lift apparatus. A lift member attached to the end of a cable, sling or arm, for example, of the lift apparatus, is configured to couple with the lift aperture for secure connection therebetween. In this manner, the pipe section can conveniently be lifted and loaded onto suitable transportation vehicles, unloaded at the installation site, and adeptly positioned in a trench along with a series of other pipe sections which are placed end to end to form a continuous conduit. Afterward, the newly formed conduit is ready for conveying drain water, and the like, or dispatching utility and telephone cables and equipment therethrough.
Before interring the assembled pipe beneath the ground, the lift apertures or holes must be blocked or plugged to prevent any external moisture, dust, dirt, debris and the like, from entering the pipe""s interior. Such lift aperture, if left unblocked, or partially or ineffectively blocked, can ultimately allow dirt to enter the pipe and contaminate the contents, or can trigger sinkholes and/or initiate other complications which would require costly re-excavation and repair. To prevent such problems, local ordinances and laws typically require workers on site to search in the immediate work area for suitable rocks or other debris of appropriate size and shape, to insert the rock into the lift aperture while ensuring secure fit and retainment. The rock and blocked aperture are covered with an amount of mortar or poured concrete necessary to seal and secure the rock in place. Once the mortar is set, the pipe positioned in the trench, is buried with soil or suitable fill.
Such ad hoc techniques of using rocks and debris to block lift apertures, are cumbersome, time-consuming, and very inefficient. Oftentimes, it is particularly difficult to find rocks or other debris of sufficient size and/or girth for insertion into the apertures with a snug fit, and searching for such rocks is often frustrating and time-consuming. Searching in this trial and error manner, takes away significant time and labor from the actual installation work. In addition, the rock plugs can be easily dislodged by construction equipment (i.e., backhoe), rain and moisture, fill soil, and other environmental forces. If insufficient mortar is used, the rock plug can become dislodged, resulting in the problems discussed above. One attempt at minimizing the inefficiency, includes using disposable paper cups filled with poured concrete as aperture stoppers. Although the time spent for searching is reduced, the inefficiencies associated with rock plugs including limited size variability, poor fit and retention, ease of dislodgement, and the need to apply an amount of mortar, remain.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an aperture stopper that overcomes the problems encountered in the prior art. It would therefore be a significant advance in the art to develop an aperture stopper for pipe and conduits which provides excellent retention for a range of aperture sizes, is easy and inexpensive to fabricate, foregoes the need for applying poured concrete or mortar over the aperture, is durable and strong over a range of temperatures and environmental conditions, and, above all, is simple to use.
The present invention is generally directed to a stopper device for blocking an aperture in a wall of sheetrock, a pipe member wall, and the like, comprised of a cap member with a stem projecting from the cap member. The stem further includes radially directed web means for anchoring the cap member to the pipe aperture in a manner which provides the benefits of efficient and effective blocking of the pipe aperture for maintaining a firm barrier between the exterior and interior portions of the pipe.
In particular, one aspect of the present invention is directed to a stopper device for blocking an aperture in a pipe member, a sheetrock wall, and so forth in which the stopper device comprises:
a substantially planar cap member with a top side and a bottom side;
a stem projecting from the bottom side of the cap member; and
a plurality of axially-spaced circumferential webs each radially projecting from the longitudinal axis of the stem.